Overview

This short eLearning course helps non-native English speakers to improve their competencies and confidence with leading meetings in English. 

• Responsibilities: Needs Analysis, Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Rollout 

• Target Audience: Young professional non-native speakers of English who work in a global digital company and lead teams and meetings in English

• Tools Used: Articulate Rise 360, Google Suite

• Year: 2023

Approach

I consulted closely with key stakeholders to identify the skills gap and what users would need to improve to be able to lead meetings more effectively. Having mapped the key points to focus on, alongside the improvement areas learners had highlighted, I designed an easy-to-follow 6-step strategy, supported by a range of authentic business phrases.

Storyboarding

I collected a range of quotes and opinions about what it takes to lead effective meetings, as well as people’s frustrations about what makes meetings ineffective. I then worked with subject matter experts to craft an impactful micro-course that learners could resonate with and learn from fast.

The authentic phrases for learners to use were collated and well-organized in the content section. These are later tested in the ‘Phrase Checker’ section, where learners are asked to choose between effective phrases and ones that may lead to problems. Feedback is given on choices made to guide learners and help them understand the consequences of using less effective language.

eLearning Development

I moved into Articulate Rise 360 to rapidly prototype the eLearning experience. Rise is perfect for this thanks to its ease-of-use and simplicity. I used a wide range of interactions within Rise, such as drag-and-drops, matching, flashcards, process carousels, and more.

I included relatable, inspiring and inclusive visuals that give the learner a feeling of familiarity and of being represented.

Given the rapid nature of the development, I used a highly iterative approach and got feedback from stakeholders to make improvements throughout.

The micro-course is fully mobile-responsive, so learners can access the content on any device and on-the-go, making it a perfect microlearning and training booster.

Key Takeaways 

This eLearning was very well-received and the initial reaction was that it was highly engaging and useful. Line managers also shared feedback commenting that they noticed an improvement in the effectiveness and impact of meetings led by those who had taken the course. 

Testimonials from learners demonstrated how it built their confidence and the strategy and phrases were easy to regularly implement. The success of this training means the business will likely invest in further similar scalable and effective interventions.

Though this eLearning focuses on developing skills for non-native speakers of English, the reaction from those who piloted it who are proficient users of English suggests it could easily be adapted and used by a wider audience as a highly useful soft skills training.